On October 23rd and 24th, Magnitogorsk hosted “Science Days”, an annual event traditionally held at one of the major universities in the Chelyabinsk Region. In 2025, it was held at Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University. The main goal of the event is to strengthen the role of science in the sustainable development of our region.
This event served as a platform for building effective communication between experts in science, technology, and innovation, as well as government officials, to jointly discuss strategic issues related to scientific and technological development of the Chelyabinsk Region.
Leaders and representatives of regional and federal government bodies, educational and research organizations, state corporations and industrial enterprises, as well as engineers and developers, are invited to participate in the “Science Days”.
The opening ceremony of the “Science Days” in the Chelyabinsk Region and the first plenary session, dedicated to the priorities and prospects for our region's scientific and technological development, were held in Prityazhenie Park (Atrium space) and were attended by the SUSU First Vice-Rector and Vice-Rector for Research Anton Korzhov. Among the guests of honour were Deputy Governor of the Chelyabinsk Region Stanislav Mosharov and Minister of Education and Science of the Chelyabinsk Region Vitaly Litke.
At the reporting conference on the “Participation of the Chelyabinsk Region in Regional Competitions of the Russian Science Foundation: Results and Prospects”, the Vice-Rector discussed the recent scientific achievements by South Ural State University.
“The main goal of the SUSU's participation in the “Science Days” in the Chelyabinsk Region is to popularize scientific research and advance our university's developments,” explained Anton Korzhov. “Over the past two years, South Ural State University researchers have successfully implemented over a dozen regional grants for import substitution from the Russian Science Foundation, collaborating with the university's industrial partners: URAL Automobile Plant, Ural Engineering Centre, Modern Polyurethane Foam Insulation Technologies Plant, Chelyabinsk Pipe Rolling Plant, and “Induktsiya” Design Bureau. Today, we can already share specific results from these projects, outline the methods and scope of commercialization for new import-substituting products, and discuss plans for future project work.”
On day one of the event, a panel discussion on the development of the robotics industry was held at Nosov Moscow State Technical University, where the current state, key trends, and prospects were discussed. Artem Sagdakov, Deputy Director of the SUSU Industrial Robotics Development Centre, presented a report titled “Areas of Activity of the Industrial Robotics Development Centre: Science, Personnel, and Robot Integration into Production”.
“We are currently working on two projects involving robotic systems related to the Chelyabinsk Forge-and-Press Plant (ChKPZ) group of companies,” noted Artem Sagdakov. “The team at the SUSU Industrial Robotics Development Centre is actively working to replace manual labour in production with more productive options. For example, we are transitioning from CNC machine operators to robotic system operators. These are more efficient management models that increase productivity; by the end of this calendar year, one production cell will already be robotized. The second cell will be launched in the first quarter of 2026. We have a number of manufacturing plants in line, who are also interested in transitioning to more efficient and cost-effective robotic production programs. The SUSU Industrial Robotics Development Centre can provide comprehensive services that include not only integration but also engineering training for robotic systems and the solution of non-standard production problems using the scientific component.”
Pavel Gamov, Head of the Department of Pyrometallurgical and Foundry Technologies at SUSU (via videoconference), and Marina Poliakova, Senior Research Fellow at the SUSU Research and Innovation Services participated in the panel discussion on the “Nuclear Industry and Metallurgy”.
At the conference on the “Contribution of the Humanities Sciences to Solving Priority Tasks of the Region,” professors Igor Sibiriakov and Andrey Epimakhov (Director of the South Ural Archaeological Centre of the Institute of History and Archaeology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences) from the SUSU Department of Russian and Foreign History presented their papers.
“Four thousand years ago, during the Bronze Age, a new system of food production and consumption emerged in the Southern Trans-Urals. It would prove remarkably successful and survive until the arrival of the Russian population in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries,” explained Andrey Epimakhov. “We are attempting to elucidate the specifics of this system, based on livestock farming, through our work on a regional grant from the Russian Science Foundation. For the first time, we are fully exploring the entire chain, from the production of primary products by ancient livestock breeders to the final stages of their utilization. Over the past year, we have been able to integrate geochemical data into this study. Using gas chromatography, we have seen for the first time that our ancient ancestors used different methods of preparing the same foods. For the first time, we have discovered that utensils were used not only for cooking but also for other, possibly technical, purposes. Today, we are at the initial stage of our large and truly unique research, and we will strive to ensure that it develops into a beautiful project, valuable not only for archaeological science, but also for our region.”
Ivan Grudochko, a researcher at the SUSU Eurasian Studies Research and Education Centre, spoke to meeting participants about the Uelgi burial complex, highlighting the latest interdisciplinary research on the early Magyar period in the Southern Trans-Urals. Sergei Botalov, Chief Researcher at the Eurasian Studies Research and Education Centre and Danil Klopotiuk, a postgraduate student in the Department of Russian Language and Literature, spoke via videoconference.
The “Science Days” facilitate solving a number of important tasks: attracting talented young people to scientific research, promoting research and development, and updating our region's scientific and technological agenda. The two-day expert meeting will result in the development of certain solutions aimed at strengthening the South Ural region's position in the scientific and technological community.
The “Science Days” were organized by the Chelyabinsk Region Government, the region’s Ministry of Education and Science, “Regional Infrastructure of Education and Science” Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization, and the host university, Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University.